Participant Recruitment We started with a list of known PBL in K-12 researchers and asked them to complete a survey to confirm their interest, provide information about their work, and recommend others). The survey is available online (Ravitz & English, 2012). We contacted a cross-section of researchers of diverse topics related to PBL including leadership and school reform, performance assessment, technology integration, and teacher professional development. We included academics, research-oriented school leaders (e.g., from New Tech Network), consultants, and informal learning researchers (e.g., after-school or museums), as well as international scholars.
The first email invitations went to 35 people. Adding people they recommended we have now asked 80 people total to complete a survey of interest. So far we have received responses from 57 (a 71% response rate). Of these, 48 have confirmed they are conducting appropriate research and are interested in participating at some level (not necessarily attending in person). Based on talks with local leads the anticipated number of participants has grown to 67 (See Appendix A). We expect more than half to attend one of our two large meetings (with many from Indiana probably not making it to AERA), and the rest participating online or in local-regional settings. The group may grow to include a few high profile researchers who have expressed verbal interest, invitees who may still complete the survey (as well as the people they may add); and local gathering participants at sites yet to be defined. We also want to recruit, to the extent funds will allow, more international participants from countries with strong interest in PBL in K-12 (Australia, China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, or Costa Rica)
Related Research Activity There is a great deal of related research taking place in higher education and professional settings, as shown on the Problem Based Education SIG (2012) web site. We consider Common Core and performance assessment reforms to also be closely aligned with PBL.
APPENDIX A: DETAILED LIST OF PARTICIPANTS (N = 76) by SITE (from surveys and contacts with leads)
State/Region
Number
Institutional Counts * Indicates interest in hosting local meetings
Indiana
30
Purdue (10) * University of Indianapolis-CELL (12) * Indiana University-Bloomington (4 )* Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (4) Indiana University-Purdue-Columbus (1)
Israel
10
Weizmann Institute of Science (3) * Technion (2) Institute for Democratic Education (2) Tel Aviv University (2) Bar Ilan University (1)
California
7
New Tech Network (2) Independent Consultant (1) Mills College (1) San Jose State University (1) SRI International (1) Buck Institute for Education (1) *
Other International
5
Scotland - University of Edinburgh (2) Germany - Ruhr University Bochum (1) Cyprus - CARDET - University of Nicosia (1) Canada - University of Toronto/OISE ( 1)
Minnesota
2
Hamline University (1) Minnesota State University-Mankato (1)
New Hampshire
2
University of New Hampshire (2)
North Carolina
2
North Carolina State University (2)
New York
2
New York Hall of Science Teachers College-Columbia University
Texas
2
New Tech Network (1) University of Texas at Austin (1)
Virginia
2
George Mason University (2)
Alabama
1
Auburn University
Colorado
1
University of Colorado-Boulder
Iowa
1
Iowa State University
Michigan
1
University of Michigan
New Jersey
1
Rutgers University
New Mexico
1
University of New Mexico
New York
2
New York Hall of Science Teachers College-Columbia University
The first email invitations went to 35 people. Adding people they recommended we have now asked 80 people total to complete a survey of interest. So far we have received responses from 57 (a 71% response rate). Of these, 48 have confirmed they are conducting appropriate research and are interested in participating at some level (not necessarily attending in person). Based on talks with local leads the anticipated number of participants has grown to 67 (See Appendix A). We expect more than half to attend one of our two large meetings (with many from Indiana probably not making it to AERA), and the rest participating online or in local-regional settings. The group may grow to include a few high profile researchers who have expressed verbal interest, invitees who may still complete the survey (as well as the people they may add); and local gathering participants at sites yet to be defined. We also want to recruit, to the extent funds will allow, more international participants from countries with strong interest in PBL in K-12 (Australia, China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, or Costa Rica)
Related Research Activity There is a great deal of related research taking place in higher education and professional settings, as shown on the Problem Based Education SIG (2012) web site. We consider Common Core and performance assessment reforms to also be closely aligned with PBL.
APPENDIX A: DETAILED LIST OF PARTICIPANTS (N = 76) by SITE (from surveys and contacts with leads)
University of Indianapolis-CELL (12) *
Indiana University-Bloomington (4 )*
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (4)
Indiana University-Purdue-Columbus (1)
Technion (2)
Institute for Democratic Education (2)
Tel Aviv University (2)
Bar Ilan University (1)
Independent Consultant (1)
Mills College (1)
San Jose State University (1)
SRI International (1)
Buck Institute for Education (1) *
Germany - Ruhr University Bochum (1)
Cyprus - CARDET - University of Nicosia (1)
Canada - University of Toronto/OISE ( 1)
Minnesota State University-Mankato (1)
Teachers College-Columbia University
University of Texas at Austin (1)
Teachers College-Columbia University